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Indonesia Council Open Conference 2025
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The Decolonization Narratives of Indigenous Women in Sumba Island: How Do They Respond to Environmental Degradation?

Individual Paper

Individual Paper

11:00 am

10 July 2025

Forum 1 (Melbourne Connect)

Session 7: Mythologies, Representation and Lived Realities: Women and the Environment

One Conference streams

Gender & Sexuality

Submission Description

Sumba Island in the Province of East Nusa Tenggara has experienced changes in livelihood patterns in recent decades following the division of four districts and the government's development programs: agro-industry, food estate and tourism. As a result, there are changes in the socio-cultural-spiritual relations of the community, moving away from communal activities based on indigenous knowledge of the Marapu Indigenous People to the modern models of subordination to fulfill personal needs and ownership. In addition, there are changes in the human interaction with nature, moving away from the traditional farming traditions to the new orientation towards instant production on a large scale, such as the use of modern tools, transgenic (GMO) varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. However, poverty levels remain high, with most of the population still living below the local poverty line with a daily income of around $1.90/day and this province is one of the largest contributors of illegal female labor in Indonesia. Applying the decolonization methodology and ecofeminism, this study found agencies of Marapu Indigenous Women through a) dismantling colonial ideologies, b) valuing Indigenous knowledges and approaches, c) centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and c) incorporating Indigenous perspectives and practices, which all are seen through the weaving activities on their daily basis.

Presenters

Presenters

Individual Paper Presenters

Elisabeth Dewi - Parahyangan Catholic University